Touchdown! NFL and Referees Reach Agreement to End Lockout

After a roaring backlash following a controversial call during Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers from the replacement refs (which gave the Packers a loss), the NFL and NFL Referees Association have agreed to a collective bargaining agreement, ending a three-week lockout.

"Our officials will be back on the field starting tomorrow night," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement released with the NFLRA. "We appreciate the commitment of the NFLRA in working through the issues to reach this important agreement."

"Our Board of Directors has unanimously approved taking this proposed CBA to the membership for a ratification vote," the union's president, Scott Green, added in a joint statement. "We are glad to be getting back on the field for this week's games."

The lockout was due to the union wanting improved salaries and retirement benefits, among other things. The NFL has proposed a pension freeze and a higher 401(k) match.